Aug. 2, 2026 | Author shares her family's connection to a Nazi atrocity

Rita Buettner speaks with Ilka Knüppel, author of "Finding Ruth: A Personal Story of Hitler’s Secret Euthanasia Program, Action T4."Knüppel recounts the life of her great-aunt Ruth Muehlmann, a young woman with a disability who was murdered in 1941 as part of the Nazis’ secret program that systematically killed people with disabilities. She shares her years-long search through German archives, her visits to the institutions where Ruth lived and died, and the emotional journey of uncovering long-hidden family history.The author also reflects on how her Catholic faith sustained her while researching such profound evil and why remembering these forgotten victims is essential today. This conversation offers a powerful reminder of the dignity of every human person, the importance of confronting history honestly and the responsibility to protect the most vulnerable.Host: Rita BuettnerGuest: Ilka KnüppelProducer: George Matysek Jr.Copyright © 2026, Catholic Review Media